Progressive Era Child Labor and Education

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Transcript of Progressive Era Child Labor and Education

Progressive Era Child Labor & Education Child Labor In 1900, children made up 1/4 of all the people working in millsChildren were seen as a cheap source of labor5 Year olds were working in mills alongside parents and older siblingsSome of the workers in the Triangle Waist Company fire were as young as 14. Due to lack of child labor laws... National Labor Relations Act After the Triangle Waist Company fire, the National Labor Relations Act was created so that workers could join unions if they chose to, without facing discrimination. Julie MarinoErica BaragliaPeriod 6 Businesses used children as cheap labor and put more money into their pockets because of it.Meanwhile...Only 7% of children were enrolled in kindergarten in 19008% of the ENROLLED students actually graduated from high school1/2 the kids working in mills couldn't read or writeBetween 1900 and 1919, half of the student population did not achieve eighth grade status.In 1914, 25% of voters could only sign their name with an X Fair Labor Standards Act President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act to establish better conditions for workers of all ages, but most importantly: It set minimum ages of 16 for work during school hours14 for certain jobs after school18 for dangerous workIt set a national minimum wage Politically: Government began to regulate if, when and for how long children were allowed to work. What Changed? Economically: Businesses big and small were regulated by government. Not only did they have to cut back on how many hours children could work, but they could no longer use children as a source of cheap labor due to the national minimum wage. What Changed? Intellectually: Government regulations for child labor only allowed children to work a certain amount of hours depending on their age, so children were more likely to go to school. What Changed? The Progressive Education Movement during the first two decades of the century consisted of two branches:Child Centered WingMass Education Wing Education Reform IQ and standardized testing became a way to classify people Several cities in the US began their first Junior High Schools Avery Coonley School Founded in 1906 in Downers Grove, IllinoisTo promote progressive educational theoriesApprox. ages 3-14Nationally recognized model for progressive education well into 1940s Education now... Since we know Theodore Roosevelt urged major school reform and wanted children in school, he would probably love to see what schools look like now, and how successful the school system reforms have become. What would Theodore Roosevelt think of modern education?